1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus in which a storage medium is removably mountable, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus designed with security taken into consideration.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, with advancements in storage capacity of computer storage media, such as hard disk drives, there has been a desire to improve reliability, operationality and security of the storage media.
For example, one data storage method with improved reliability is known as RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) structure in which data is distributed among two or more hard disks so as to decrease failure rate.
Also, one storage medium on the market with improved operationality is a “removable disk” which has dramatically improved exchangeability of the disk.
In addition to hard disks, other types of storage media on the market having improved operationality include writable DVD's (Digital Versatile/Video Disc), writable CD's (Compact Disc), CF (Compact Flash) cards and SD (Secure Digital) cards.
However, the improvements mentioned above have not only made handling of storage media more easy for its owner, but also for anyone else. As such, there has been an increased probability that storage media might be stolen.
Heretofore, there have been proposed in “A Computer Having a Filebay Cover with an Electronic Lock and a Control Method for the Computer” (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-194448) and “A Computer Having a Door with an Electronic Lock” (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-373030) measures to increase security of storage media.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-194448, a storage-medium drive unit is equipped with a bay cover covering a filebay. The bay cover includes an electronic lock for electronically controlling locking operations, which makes it unnecessary for the user to carry or manage any physical keys and leads to an improvement in security.
Similarly, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-373030 discloses a cover with an electronic lock provided on a storage-medium drive unit. To improve security, the electronic lock is controlled by means of equipment having a control portion, a power source portion and a communication portion which are provided independently of the main body of the computer.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-194448, a control portion of the main body of the computer controls the electronic lock to open and close in response to the user's operation via a network. Therefore, it is conceivable that the electronic lock mechanism may not function normally when a power source for the computer is in an off-state, when the network is in a stop state, or when power supply is cut off, which can compromise security.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-373030, since the electronic lock is controlled by the equipment that is independent of the main body of the computer, the electronic lock can function normally regardless of the condition of the power source for the main body of the computer or the condition of the network. However, since the power source portion is provided independently of the main body of the computer, two plug outlets are required. Further, since the network communication portion is also provided independently of the main body of the computer, two IP addresses are required. Accordingly, this hardware arrangement can lead to an increase in size, thereby causing an increase in cost.
Further, in the above two references, only after the user inserts a removable storage medium into the storage-medium drive unit and performs a locking operation on the electronic lock is removal of the storage medium from the storage-medium drive unit prevented. However, in the absence of the locking operation by the user, the problem with ease in removing the storage medium remains unsolved.
Furthermore, in the above two references, there are no means for discerning the type of storage medium, such as whether the hard disk is a systems disk or a data disk. Therefore, the type of hard disk becomes known only after the hard disk starts operating upon power-up of the computer main body, insertion of the hard disk into the drive unit, and closure by the electronic lock in response to the user's operation.
If the user inserts the wrong disk type into the drive unit, since the electronic lock has been closed, it would be necessary for the user to perform an operation to open the electronic lock, which is inconvenient.